Built-in Sperm Bank

No one knows for sure whether bats celebrate Halloween or not. What we do know is that these creatures have a lot on their minds when fall arrives.

The Little Brown Myotis, or Little Brown Bat, is one of the most common bats in the United States and Canada. It lives in large colonies during the summer months, usually within buildings and other structures. As winter approaches, though, the bat leaves its home and flies to a hibernation site, preferably a cave or mine, sometimes hundreds of miles away. In addition, the bat packs on extra fat and mates. But a new bat will not be conceived until after the winter hibernation is over. That's because a female Little Brown Bat can store the male's sperm in her reproductive tract for months at a time.